Encouragement is a recurring message for me lately. Maybe I am seeking encouragement opportunities more because I am reading the book, Treasures of Encouragment, by Sharon Betters. Maybe it is because I have been the recipient of heaping servings of encouragement from a conference I recently attended. Whatever the reason, I'm reminded of how important it is to encourage others. Sharon Betters says, "True encouragement pumps hope into the receiver and also into the giver." Motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, says, "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want." We sometimes need reminded of this in the competitive world we live in. It is easy to get on the treadmill of life, set a goal, and run toward it without taking note of anything happening around us. It is amazing how much we limit ourselves if we are only minding "our own business." Encouragement is a powerful tool that can change a life and energize you to do bigger and better things. Think of people that you truly admire and respect. You can probably think of many ways that person motivated or helped others. It is no coincidence. There are so many ways we can encourage others. We can help someone do a project, promote something he/she is doing to others, praise someone for a job well done, smile or give a compliment, provide a monetary or physical need for someone, pray for the person, or come up with a way to surprise someone with a good deed of some kind for no other reason than to make his/her day. It is awesome when someone takes the time to encourage you. It is a blessing when you take the opportunity to encourage others. "Those who are the happiest are those who do the most for others." - Booker T. Washington